UDC president & CEO wins ‘International Sustainability & ESG Leadership Award’

United Development Company (UDC), the master developer of The Pearl and Gewan islands, has won the 2023 SEAL Sustainability Leader Award, honouring president and CEO and member of the board, Ibrahim Jassim al-Othman, for his role in leadership, innovation, and commitment to sustainable business practices. Al-Othman was chosen amongst nine top executives who received the Sustainability Leader Award and was selected based on achieving ESG goals, leadership skills, and ability to attract and retain talent. By winning this award, UDC sets the highest benchmarks for environmental integration, setting the path for other organisations to adopt and deliver long-lasting sustainable impact on the community and the world.SEAL (sustainability, environmental achievement, and leadership) recognises organisations in four award categories: environmental initiative, sustainable innovation, sustainable product, and sustainable service.Additionally, UDC was selected for carrying out various initiatives aimed at protecting the environment and reducing carbon emissions at The Pearl Island, such as the employee tree planting initiative, biodiversity map, and seabin project, as well as for developing a sustainability and environmental strategy for 2022- 2026 to reduce carbon emissions and encourage a circular economy based on reducing waste and encouraging rational water use.UDC has led many initiatives and won several awards for its sustainability endeavours and initiatives, as part of its strategic plan that prioritises environmental governance, and in accordance with the Qatar National Vision 2030, which is reflected in Qatar’s National Environment and Climate Change Strategy.In October 2022, UDC won two Green Apple Awards from the Green Apple Environment, a prominent environmental organisation in the UK. UDC won the ‘Best Development Award’ for reducing carbon emissions while developing projects at The Pearl Island, and the ‘Best Waste Management Company’ for complying with environmentally friendly behaviours. UDC was also the first listed real estate company to release its ESG report in 2022 to Qatar Stock Exchange. The report officially discloses UDC strategies and achievements in the areas of environmental governance and sustainability.UDC launched a unique initiative earlier last year to aid the process of carbon emissions reduction by initiating a tree planting for new employees, where each tree is planted for every new employee who joins the company and successively for every five years spent at UDC. Green spaces and tree planting create a natural barrier to noise pollution, which is important to the health and well-being of residents on The Pearl Island. In total, 600 trees have been planted for employees and each new employee received a certificate stating the joining date and the tree planted. Currently, The Pearl Island has about 7,700 trees that offset about 197 tonnes of carbon dioxide.UDC recently launched the first hybrid limo service at The Pearl Island to reduce its carbon footprint and GHGs emissions by more than 65% while converting 50% of its transport from petrol to electric vehicles, promoting alternative modes of transportation, such as water taxis, electric scooters, and bicycles on dedicated routes, and offering more charging outlets for electric vehicles throughout The Pearl Island. In August 2022, UDC Tower, the company's headquarters, received GSAS Gold Operations certification, becoming the first building on The Pearl Island to receive the highest regional sustainability rating from the Gulf Organisation for Research and Development (Gord) for implementing sustainability best practices. UDC Tower is the first GSAS-certified project to achieve full indoor air quality compliance, giving it the qualification of a healthy building.